Posts tagged “Circle K Ranch”

Where do I start? Yvonne’s parents were in a car accident on their way to West Georgia which is about a 45 minute accident-free drive. Thankfully we were sitting down to Easter lunch only two hours later – all passengers accounted for along with a car load of delicious food. Everyone meets at Yvonne’s grandparent’s house for most holidays. Arriving late is one of the family traditions began by none other than Yvonne’s family. Yvonne and I have taken the #1 spot on the “will arrive late” list, so we normally arrive late in the 3rd quarter.

I’ll manage to weave a chess story in here. The excitement is just beginning…

I’m new around here – to the area and to the family. I think I’m doing OK. My new aunt does not think of me as a “nephew in-law”, nor does an estranged brother I’ve been lucky to see a couple of times. I told him last week he did a fantastic job power washing his grandparents deck. I thought it had been rebuilt from scratch.

I’m doing great as a matter of fact! Yvonne and I opened our swimming pool on Saturday to kick off the season. I’m turning 40 next month, so we invited everyone we saw on Easter – which was “everyone” to stop by. I didn’t mention the lack of patio furniture, but news travels fast 😉

My new aunt invited Yvonne and me to go camping this weekend with a large group of teenagers. I haven’t done this since I was one myself. These kids are supposed to fend for themselves. They’re not allowed to ask us for any camping supplies over the weekend. We’ll also be riding horses in the Talladega National Forest. I never really learned to ride horses well and have always been a little scared of horses from a young age. My first experience was at age 7 in the mountains at Circle K Ranch outside Durango, Colorado. I did go back the following year – for the trout fishing and tug-of-war on the river that ran through our campground.

Safe & sound at our grandparent’s house in West Georgia.

Back to Easter weekend. We eventually made our way to my wife’s parents house to enjoy the rest of time we had. Her family lives near us throughout Atlanta and beyond. Traditions have been set down especially around the holidays. Traditions include a “friendly” game of family poker around a large table. If you consider a single lottery ticket I bought for my sister in 1992 when the lottery came to Texas, I could say that I’ve been lucky with games of chance – which chess is not.

Chess for the first time has given me the confidence to participate in the family fun. Aside from a “meeting of the minds” about everyday life, the game has also offered me one-on-one interaction with my father in-law – not an easy task with so much going on.

I wish I could say I let him triumph during our game. Anyone who knows me knows better…

Our Breakthrough

We truly feel the wonderful game of chess can and will benefit families and groups. The game of chess it seems is being unearthed in a new and balanced way to improve social interactions. Chess is being adapted to exploit metacognition (learning to learn) and situational analysis. As a result, family relationships may be strengthened and channels to personal growth developed.

Chess Made Fun is not a popular learning program for our youth, nor is it a "Hair Club for Men" of the past. We do not relegate chess to an allurement or form of entertainment. Our effort and approach to teaching chess through therapeutic means, unshackles the game and reveals chess for what it truly is — a gateway to understanding the natural world.

Visualization becomes a powerful tool to young and old minds where wonder and breakthrough energies abound. Like never before, our special relationship with this remarkable game and the way we deliver it will truly benefit families for years to come. Read On...

culture change

Chess made its resurgence in the United States when Harry Potter became the reigning chess champion — RIP Robert F.

Laura Sherman wrote a first of its kind book titled "Chess Is Child's Play". What she said about it —
"This isn't a children's book. That's why there aren't any colorful illustrations or cartoon characters. It is a book written for parents. It's written for you!" Read On...

Endgame (stylized ENDGAMƎ) is a popular Canadian television drama series from 2011 now exclusively broadcast on Hulu.

Chess is played, but more often displayed as a clever accessory. Chess enthusiasts see "Chess as Art", but realize the distinction in the public eye. Chess is a dirty game with its twists and turns. Unadapted to health and higher learning institutions, chess collects dust in dark spaces where it remains clean and unencumbered. Our sincere hope is to thwart both ideas in popular culture, business circles, even to gamers who clamor to HDTV.